Rained out on Sunday and run on Monday, the Coca Cola 600 could still defeat the Indy 500 in television ratings.
FOX drew a 3.5 overnight rating for the Coca Cola 600 on Monday, reports USA Today, down 20% from a 4.4 last year. While this marks yet another double-digit decline in overnight ratings for NASCAR, much of that can be attributed to the delay on Sunday and multiple delays on Monday.
As in previous years, the Coca Cola 600 finished behind the Indianapolis 500 in overnight ratings, with the Indy 500 drawing a 4.2 on Sunday afternoon. Last year, the Indy 500 outdrew the Coca Cola 600 5.1 to 4.4 in the overnights.
The IRL could be in for a very embarrassing moment when the final ratings come out. USA Today reports that the Indy 500 drew a 3.9 final rating, the lowest ever for a live, start-to-finish telecast of the race.
NASCAR ratings typically rise from the overnight to the final rating, meaning that a rain delayed Coca Cola 600 could end up outrating the biggest race on the IRL schedule.
